


Sunrise

by Hot_Mild_Sweet_n_Salty



Series: ShikaSaku Hanami 2020 [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: And we all know it, F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Post-War, Romance, becasue shikamaru is a sap, birthday gift, but its really quick, family heriloom as a gift, he asks her out, its sakuras birthday, watching the sunrise together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:47:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23344192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hot_Mild_Sweet_n_Salty/pseuds/Hot_Mild_Sweet_n_Salty
Summary: The war is done.The romance is just beginning.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Nara Shikamaru
Series: ShikaSaku Hanami 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1678945
Comments: 10
Kudos: 98
Collections: ShikaSaku Hanami 2020





	Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! This is the first Shikasaku Hanami I've participated in, and the first time I've posted for ShikaSaku (I actually have a story for them I'm working on, but I'm not posting it until a good portion of it is done bc I have a horrible habit of just... not updating.)
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Prompt One- Dawn (We Celebrate Our Victories)

Sakura didn’t often get to indulge in things like watching the sun crest the horizon. Not since the war started. But today… today was a special day.

Just as the war had begun, it had ended with a bang. The silence was deafening. No longer were the constant sounds of people screaming, crying, dying. No more of the constant roar of jutsu being fired off, of kunai clashing, no more listening as her allies were picked off one by one.

It was peaceful. It made Sakura’s skin itch.

At eighteen, Sakura was a survivor. No war in the past could compare to the one her teammates—her _brothers_ had finally put an end to. And even then, the two idiots had their own bone to pick. But now, they rested.

A footstep alerted her to the presence of another person, deliberately loud so as to not spook her. It was common courtesy, especially when dealing with a ninja like her. She turned, humming softly as Shikamaru crested the hill behind her. Her eyes flicked down to the box in his hands, but instead of asking, she just turned back to watch the sunrise. 

“This is the first sunrise I’ve gotten to enjoy in almost four years,” she said softly. Shikamaru hummed, coming to a stop next to the pink-haired kunoichi. 

“Really? You’re not exactly known for sleeping late—or sleeping at all for that matter.” Sakura huffed in amusement at the Nara’s dry humor.

“You would know.” He chuckled and they fell into a companionable silence.

Shikamaru was one of the few people Sakura knew she could always rely on. Sure, she had Naruto and Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei, and Ino if she really needed it, but all of those people would end up giving her unwanted and unneeded advice, and then smothering her with unavoidable attention for the next week. 

Shikamaru though… he never asked questions when she begged him for a spar. Never looked at her funny when she asked for a smoke. Never carried on dramatics when she appeared in the night between battles, shoulders slumped and eyes dark. And in return, Sakura never spoke during those spars, when tears of frustration and anger and fear rolled down Shikamaru’s cheeks. She didn’t lecture him when he smoked his way through two packs of cigarettes in the span of a couple hours. Opened her arms when he suffered from nightmares and showed up at her tent before she could get to his.

They were survivors, together. They had been dragged into this war because of power-hungry psychopaths and their need to play god. Nobody had asked for this—but then again, who would actually want a war with a casualty rate so high, it put the Warring States Period to shame and made the Third war look like a walk in the park?

Wars were never easy, but not often were they debilitating such as the one that had finally come to a close.

Shikamaru sidled closer to Sakura, and she leaned into his side, sighing softly. She could feel the weariness in his posture, different from his usual slouched demeanor. But there was something else there as well, something she had seen in his eyes when he approached her.

Something like _hope_.

“Happy birthday,” he murmured, handing her the box. She smiled softly and cracked it open. Inside was a smaller, carefully wrapped box of what looked to be anmitsu, a book of logic puzzles, and a necklace. Sakura cocked her head to the side, lifting the last trinket delicately.

It looked old, but well-loved. A delicate-looking chain that was made of reinforced chakra steel, with a single circular aquamarine nestled within a frame made from the same metal as the chain. On top of that was an even more delicate carving of the Nara clan symbol, etched into the surface of the pale blue stone.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered. Shikamaru smiled softly and took the necklace from her hands, motioning for her to turn. She complied, breath catching when he looped it around her neck and tightened the clasp.

“It belonged to my grandmother—it was a gift to her from my grandfather. She gave it to my dad, he gave it to mom, and she gave it to me. You and my grandmother have the same birth month, hence the convenient aquamarine.” She turned to face him, eyes wide.

“And you’re giving it to me? Why me?” The smile never slipped from his face as he reached out to caress a single knuckle down her cheek.

“Why wouldn’t I give it to you? We won the war. It’s your birthday. We’re still alive. Take your pick.” Sakura blushed, trapping her lip between her teeth. She didn’t miss how his eyes followed the movement.

“My dad told me that it’s a special necklace. The stone can hold the chakra of two people—the one who wears it and the one who gifted it. As long as it holds on to that chakra, the two people will always be able to sense one another.” He met her eyes, his own softening. “You’re my special person, Sakura. As long as you wear this, I’ll always be able to know you’re okay, and in turn, you’ll know I’m okay. I wanted to give it to you before, but I was too chickenshit.”

Sakura laughed, wiping at the single tear that tracked down her cheek. “Shikamaru, is this your way of asking to court me? Because if it is...” He rocked back on his heels, shoving his hands in his pockets and smirking.

“Is it working?” Sakura laughed again, a full-bodied laugh that rang out like bells and made her shoulders shake. In that moment, as the soft pink orange of the sun glanced off her face, highlighting the round in her cheek, the delicate bridge of her nose, the glimmer in her eye, Shikamaru froze.

_Sakura was fucking beautiful._

“You idiot.” Grabbing the front of his shirt, Sakura dragged Shikamaru closer and planted her lips against his. His heart was pounding, and so was hers. Her lips were soft, warm—his tasted like dango and smoke. She pulled back, smiling up at him.

“That works,” he croaked. Together, they sat down in the growing grass at the crest of the hill. They looked out over the camp, slowly coming to life, and reveled in the silence of the morning sun.

Sakura leaned against Shikamaru, humming as she ate the anmitsu he had brought her. She didn’t even look at the logic book, instead placing it in his hands with an amused eye roll. They watched as the world around them seemed to bloom, a new era of peace settling over them like a warm blanket.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Shikamaru hummed in agreement.

He wasn’t looking at the sun.


End file.
